Re: [Fwd: Re: [architecture] Re: JPackages and ObjectWeb]

[Kenneth Pronovici <pronovic@debian.org>]

> > >For #8:
> > >We should add that all jars should have a manifest (but without 
> > >Class-Path). Ant can autogenerate a manifest, or does, I forget?
> > 
> > BTW: I never yet touched Manifests, what are they actually for? :)
> 
> Manifests are a child of java applets. Sun needed a place to put
> metadata info like classpathes in single-jar applets and thus Manifests
> were born.
> 
> They are mostly useless in a non applet context.

Are you sure about that?  I believe I have also used a manifest when
creating a standalone executable-in-a-jar (to be run with 'java -jar').  

Ah, yes, I did remember that correctly:

   http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/jar/basics/manifest.html

This page says, "[i]f you're interested only in the 'ZIP-like' features
of JAR files such as compression and archiving, you don't have to worry
about the manifest file. The manifest doesn't really play a role in
those situations."  

However, for Java 1.2, the manifest apparently allows you to do things
like seal the JAR, create applications bundled in a JAR file, etc.  So,
the manifest is not quite mostly-useless in a non-applet context.  :-)

KEN

-- 
Kenneth J. Pronovici <pronovic@debian.org>

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